Reworking tubes.



W. H. RICHARDS.

REWORKING TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1908.

; '904,45 1 Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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W. H. RICHARDS. REWORKING TUBES.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.14.1908.

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[NVE/WOR Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. RICHARDS, OF CANONSBURG, PNNSYLVANIA.

REWORKING- TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed April 14, 1908. Serial No. 427,015.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. RICH- ARDS, citizen of the United States,residing at Canonsburg, county of lVashington and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reworking Tubes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanymg drawing. This invention relates to an apparatus forreworking pipes, tubes and cylindrical bodies into plate material,whereby the superior quality of metal in scrap material of thischaracter may be utilized.

he invention has for an object to prov ide means for heating the tubes,for splitting and flattening said tubes while heated, and subsequentlyrolling the flattened plate into the desired thickness for future use.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a plow having a cutterat its apex and curved rearwardly extending faces whereby the tube isslitted and pressed into substantially fiat form at a single operation,together with means for presenting the plate thus formed to a rollingmill at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter fully set forth and the novel features thereof delined bythe appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a plan showing an application of theinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3 isan enlarged plan of the plow and tube bed; Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofthese parts; Fig. is a detail perspective of the tube as split andiiattened.

Like numerals refer to like parts in the several views of the drawing'.y

The numeral 10 designates a furnace which may be of any desiredconstruction suitable for heating tubes, and is here shown as a downdraft furnace having fire boxes 11 at opposite sides and chimney 12 sothat the products of combustion pass downward through the chamber 13Awhich is provided with an inclined floor 141- apertured at 15 andadapted to support the pipes 1G, as shown in Fig. 2. From this chamber aflue 17 extends' to the chimney 12. The tube chamber is provided with aninlet door 18 and a. discharge 19 at the opposite side thereof, thelatter communicating with the platform 2() by which the heated tube isdelivered upon the bed 21 extending parallel to the length of the tubeand provided, if desired, with .a recess 22 to retain the tube in properposition. At one end of this bed a plow 23 is disposed and adapted toreciprocate for the length of the bed, it being propelled by any desiredpower, for instance, the piston rod 24 extending to the power cylinder25. This plow is provided at its apex with a reinovably mounted cutter2G which may be interchanged for different sizes of material and ispreferably inclined downward from the top so as to assist by itsshearing action in holding the tube upon the bed (hiring the splittingthereof. The plow is provided at each side with rearwardly extendingcuived faces 27 merging into a horizontal plane parallel to the bed andat the point a flattening roller 2S is pivotally mounted in the oppositesides of the plow so as to traverse and flatten the heated tube whileholding it in firm contact with the bed 21.

For the purpose of retaining the tube or pipe 1G against longitudinalmovement, any

desired holding device may be used, for in-l stance, a gripper 29extending upward from the bed at one end of the tube recess and adaptedto enter the tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This gripper is carried bythe rod 30 and normally held out of contact by the spring' 31 extendingfrom the rod to the casing 32 thereof, while the gripper may be firmlyheld by a treadle connection, as shown at 33 or any preferred means. l

In the operation of the invention it is desirable that the plate formedfrom the tube should be rolled at an angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe tube, and for that purpose the bed is normally disposed at an angleto the iolls 34 comprising a portion of the rolling' mill and is adaptedto rotate into a position parallel with these rolls, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1. Various means may be used to secure this movement,oneform of which comprises the sector 35 carried by the bed and adapted toengage the. gear 3G which is driven from the geared shaft 37. For th(`purpose of changing the direction of tra-vel of the bed a sleeve 3S issplined upon' the driving shaft'394which is rotated from any suitablesource of power applied at the pulley 40 or may comprise the shaft of'one of the mill rolls. This sleeve is provided with oppositely disposedbevel gears 41 and 42 either of which may be thrown into mesh by theshifting lever 43.

In the operation of the invention, the tube to a is first heated to thedesired temperature and then secured, upon the bed, when the plowadvances and simultaneously cuts and bends the softened material of thetube from the vcylindrical into a substantially flat form,

the desired thickness. It will be seen that this construction presentsmeans by which or flattened by the scrap pipes tubes and cylindricalbodies containing the best quality of material may be practicallyutilized for lates and the s )lit, ting and flattening rea 1lyaccomplishe by a smgle operation as the tube when heated can be readilysplit by the cutter and bent plow in its passage thereover, as shown in41ig. 5.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim anddesire to secureby Letters Patent is l. In a machine for reworkingtubes, a base for sup orting a tube, means for simultaneously slittingand bending outward vin opposite directions the slitted edges of thetube, and means in the rear of the slitting meansI having a facesubstantially parallel to the base and adapted to force the outwardlybent tube into .contact therewith.

2. In a machine for reworking tubes, means for supportin a tube, and ashtter provided with opposite y inclined portions extending toward thesu porting means and outwardly and rearward y and vada ted forflattening the tube into contact w1th the supporting means during theslitting action. i

3. In a machine for reworking tubes,

' means for supporting a tube, a reciprocatingslitter provided with opositely inclined portions extending towar the support-ing means andoutwardly and rearwardly and adapted for bending 'the slitted edges ofthe tube in opposite dlrections, and means in the rear o the slittingmeans having'a face substantially parallel with the supporting means andadapted to force the outwardly bent tube into contact therewith.

l 4. In a machine for reworking tubes, a heating device, rollinr means,a carrier adapted to support a tu e and movable from alinement with thedelivery from lsaid device to the intake of said means, and a slit--ting. means operable upon the tube on said carrier.

5. In a machine for rmvorking tubes, a heating device, rolling means, acarrier adapted to support a tube and movable from alinement with thedelivery from said carrier to the intakeof said means, a slitting meansdisposed relative to the carrier for travel longitudinally of the tubethereon, means for holding said tube against longitudinal movement uponthe carrier, and means for retracting said holding means from the pathof said tube.

lG. In a machine for reworking tubes, means for supporting a tube, and acoper* ating flattening plow above said means and having at its apex aslitting cutter and rearwardly, downwardly and outwardly inclinedopposite bending faces extending therefrom.

r. In an apparatus for reworking tubes, a bed, a traveling plow disposedabove said bed and having a vertically disposed blade at its apex androvided upon its lower face with downward curved portions extendingrearwardly and ownwardly from said apex.

8. In an a paratus for reworking tubes, a bed, a plow disposed abovesaid bed and having a cutter at its a ex and provided upon its lowerface with ownwardly curved portions extending rearwardly and outwardlyfrom said a ex, and a surface at the lower portion of t e curved facesadjacent the bed to force a flattened tube in Contact with said bed.

9. In an apparatus for reworking tubes, a support, a plow located abovethe same and adapted to engage a tube when disposed thereon, said plowhaving at its apex a downwardly and rearwardly inclined cutter and atthe opposite sides thereof inclined under faces extending downwardly,outwardly and rearwardly from the apex.

10. In an apparatus for reworking tubes, a furnace, a bed disposedparallel to the discharge thereof and a slitting cutter adapted totraverse sait bed parallel with the furnace discharge and having meansvfor forcing a flattened tube in contact therewith.

a furnace, a bed disposed parallel to the discharge therefrom, aslitting cutter adapted to traverse said bed, a rolling mill disposed atan angle to the travel of said cutter, and means for shifting said bedparallel to the rolls of said mill.

1Q. In an apparatus for reworkin tubes, a feeding device, a movable bedisposcd parallel to the discharge thereof, a metal working means, meansfor shifting said bed from said feed device to said means, a gripperdisposed upon said bed to engage one end of a tube thereon, means foroperating said gripper, and a tube slitting device adapted to traversesaid bed in alinemen't with said gripper.

13. In an apparatus for reworking tubes, a feeding devlce, a metalworkin means, a bed disposed to travel from said feed device to saidmeans, and a tube slitter adapted to traverse said bed in a-pathtransverse to the travel ofthe bed.

llG

v 904,451 f3Y 14. In an apparatus for reworking tubes,

a bed pvotally mounted at one end, a cutter mounted upon a stationarysupport and 'adapted to traverse the path of travel of said i 5 'bed,asector carried by said bed, and a driving gear engaging the sector torotate the bed.

i 15. In an apparatus for reworking tubes,

a bed pivotally mounted at one end, a cutter 10 mounted upon' astationary support and adapted to traverse the path of travel of saidbed7 a sector carried bysaid bed, a driving. A

gear engaging said sector to rotate thel bed,

and a gripper disposed at the axis 'of .said

bed to retain a tube thereon. v 15 .In testimon whereof I afx mysignature in presence o two witnesses.

. `WILLIAM H. RICHARDS.

